Frozen Meals: Do Good Ones Exist?

by Carolina Santos-Neves

on 10/13/11 at 03:00 PM

A coworker and I just made attempts at eating frozen meals for lunch. Neither of us were too keen on the idea, but words like "organic," "sustainably caught," and "all-natural" convinced us otherwise. Also, the ingredient list was coherent, filled with words that sounded like actual food rather than chemical compound. So we took the risk.

My colleague tested out a vegetarian entree, and I tried a fish dish. I put mine in the microwave for about 7 minutes, and she nuked hers for 5. The end result? Well, she described it as a "sad airline meal," and I would say that mine was edible, but if given the choice, I would rather bring-in leftovers.

In the past, we have proved to enjoy microwave-friendly meals. The frozen-packed Gardenburger was our Epi Top Pick in our taste test and we gave Amy's Cheese Pizza a 4 fork rating in our Frozen Pizza Test Test. But after this latest experiment with frozen fare we were left pondering if there is such a thing as a delicious frozen entrée. Got a favorite? Tell us about it and why you like it.

This is where Trader Joe's reigns supreme, but not necessarily for bring-to-work meals, because I might argue that "microwaveable-single-servings" is a category of its own. That said, their teriyaki bowls (protein, veggies, rice) are pretty decent for that kind of thing.

My favorite TJ's frozen meals: Wild Mushroom and Black Truffle Flatbread. It is one of the best items in the store, in my opinion, frozen or non-frozen. 8 minutes in the oven. Sweet potato gnocchi with butter and sage sauce (on the stove). And the Joe's Diner Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese, whether it's made in the oven or even microwaved, rivals some homemade and restaurant comfort food.

ninapetrov
01:58:02 PM on
10/15/11

You know, the Amy's meals aren't too bad. I don't know about their stir fries and things because that just seems like a bad idea to me (reheated rice?) but their enchiladas and their bowls are pretty good. A little expensive, though.

christinepickles
01:44:42 PM on
10/14/11

I want to hear more from Corky6...are you talking about local-only things?

applemouf
12:53:53 PM on
10/14/11

This is where Trader Joe's reigns supreme, but not necessarily for bring-to-work meals, because I might argue that "microwaveable-single-servings" is a category of its own. That said, their teriyaki bowls (protein, veggies, rice) are pretty decent for that kind of thing.

My favorite TJ's frozen meals: Wild Mushroom and Black Truffle Flatbread. It is one of the best items in the store, in my opinion, frozen or non-frozen. 8 minutes in the oven. Sweet potato gnocchi with butter and sage sauce (on the stove). And the Joe's Diner Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese, whether it's made in the oven or even microwaved, rivals some homemade and restaurant comfort food.

jfain
12:18:18 PM on
10/14/11

In my experience the answer is no. I just make a big pot of soup each week for lunches.

cmphilli
12:15:30 PM on
10/14/11

I keep a couple Kashis in the freezer for my husband for the evenings when I work and he says they're good - and like the others commented above, at least the ingredients are pronounceable!! Also I have found a sweet and sour chicken - Kahiki I think is the name brand- that I keep around for those desperate evenings I don't won't to leave my house & I don't want to do any dishes!!

While not great, the Lean Cuisine Pot Stickers is good in a pinch. Some of the Kashi products are at least better tasting, filling, and relatively lower in bad stuff like Sodium. When something is lacking in flavor, I add some Penzey's Mural of Flavor to kick up the taste quotient without adding salt.

Corky6
09:49:12 AM on
10/14/11

Some will do in a pinch, but I have a few clients that rely on frozen meals. I spoke to the chief dietitian at the local hospital to get names of companies that produce and deliver frozen meals on a weekly basis and tried a few out myself before any recommendations I might pass along. Almost all she recommended were very tasty, well balanced, void of additives and are also available to anyone who wants to use their services. A couple of dollars more than the store bought frozen meals but they are organic and you have the option of choosing sides and desserts to customize them to your own tastes.

bethstickney
04:45:39 PM on
10/13/11

I don't know if I would say it's delicious, but Ethnic Gourmet's Chicken Pad Thai is quick and satisfying when I come home late from work, my husband has already eaten, and there are no leftovers. A little srirachi sauce makes it even better.